Do you think this wedding will be possible with a small budget?

by DIY wedding planner on April 15, 2012

We’re getting married June 12th..kinda quick..but its our 3 year anniversary and I really wanna do it then. We’re having it at a very small church that his mother goes to and we used to go to when we were little. I’m going to try to get a cheaper dress from Davids Bridal, my mom’s friend is going to do bouquets for me and a little bit if floral decoration…very little though. We looked at walmart and target and they have cheap little decorative stuff we can use..pretty much everything we need. theres a basement to the church where we’re going to have a small reception. our mothers our going to cook..and my mom is going to make a DIY cake from walmart. I’ve read brides maids and groomsmen buy their own outfits..so I guess I have no worries about that…just will be difficult finding some inexpensive dresses for them…we’re all on a small budget. I think we just have to give a small donation to the church..we’re not doing a honeymoon unless his parents surprise us with that..the marriage license is like 90 dollars..which kinda sucks but we’ll eventually be able to pay that..i’m going to do the layaway thing at davids bridal and just slowly get the decorations and everything from walmart and target..i found a pretty flower girl dress for verrry cheap.
i don’t really expect a lot of gifts are anything..just trying to have a wedding that is somewhat nice with what i have.
do you think this will work and advice on ways to make this happen

Budget wedding can definitely work if you do it right. It shouldn’t feel “budget”, it should feel intentional. Check out this couples wedding. I love it because it is budget by normal wedding standards but it is still really stylish and thoughtful. I think for your wedding date an outdoor BBQ wedding would be really special too.

Anyway… yes it will be possible. I bought my dress when DB was having a $99 dress sale(they do it lots…so wait for it). After you buy your dress from them you get a book of coupons to use toward the bridesmaid dresses(I think it was $20 off each), so that will help. Walmart has lots of wedding stuff that is always changing….so don’t forget to check clearance racks! Another one of my favorite websites during this whole wedding adventure has been ~ orientaltrading.com ~ they rock, and are cheap. Remember that this is your wedding, and it’s more about you and your man than anyone else…. So enjoy it and don’t worry if it’s on a tight budget, because it will all come together in the end! Best of Luck

It sounds very doable. Planning ahead will spread out the cost to make it bearable. For bridesmaids dresses, try a local consignment shop. There are many dresses turned in each year after weddings are over, but you might not get many to match depending on your bridal party size. You may even be able to find a dress for yourself for half what a new one would cost! And you can get any dress altered to fit you. The better it fits, the less that bill will be.

Since your wedding is in the early summer, let your bridesmaids buy nice little sundresses. They are inexpensive and they can wear them again and again. Typical bridesmaids dresses are so unique that you can only wear them once then you’re stuck with a dress you’ll never wear again. My stepbrother got married in Hawaii so everyone had to wear hawaiin shirts (for the men) and sundresses for the women – everyone went barefoot! A girl here had formal dresses and tuxes, but everyone, including the bride and bridesmaids, wore Chuck Taylor sneakers! Things like that make it memorable.

For a bouquet, carnations are inexpensive and they smell great! You can probably get a bulk price from a local florist.

Don’t forget to do the bridal registry thing. Both Target and Walmart have one, and the price range for the gifts is much more reasonable than some place like Macy’s or Penneys. Even if you don’t expect gifts, guests like to give a new couple something, even if it’s just a gift card to buy what they need.

Congratulations and keep it simple. Sounds like you have it under control!

Sounds like it would work just fine with what you have. Ask around and see if any family friends have a nice camera and would be willing to do photography for you. If they have a nice digital camera then they can burn them on a disc for you and you can print them yourselves. I don’t know what kind of reception you are planning on but if you are wanting dancing then I would start saving for a DJ now, they are pretty pricey. Or if you know someone willing to loan out some nice sound equipment then you could do the music yourselves as well. A tip I might have for you when selecting bridesmaid dresses is to check out department stores. Around May is when all the prom dresses are going to be on super sale so maybe you can find something nice for your girls then.

Maybe have your bridesmaids looking for dresses now: try asking on freecycle, or the wanted on Craigslist. There may be a bridal party that would love to get rid of the dresses they’ve only worn once. If you stick with one length, one color, (Floor length, apple red) you might be able to find them.

I looked at my MIL’s wedding picture, and I noticed her bridesmaid dresses didn’t match. They were all floor length, but that’s all.

Sundresses are a great idea. Have multicolored bouquets, and multicolor bridesmaids.

I worked in a department store and one year a bride came in and purchased four, floor length midnight blue skirts. She told her attendants to each wear her own white blouse.

Best wishes to you. You have a person you love, a license, an officiant, some refreshments, and people who love you to celebrate with you. It will be a beautiful day.